Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for matching help systems to the expertise level of users.
Background of the Invention
Many products (e.g., hardware and software systems) provide technical support or help systems to assist users who encounter problems or have general questions about a product's capabilities or features. Such technical support and help systems may come in a variety of forms, including printed manuals and reference literature, phone numbers for users to call to reach support personnel, and online support materials such as web pages, community forums, lists of commonly asked questions, email support, video tutorials, chat assistants, and the like. In some cases, such as when users are using applications or surfing web sites, tailored technical assistance, also referred as context-sensitive help, may be provided based on where a user currently is in the application or web site.
Nevertheless, current technical support and help systems are not without their shortcomings. For example, users of products may have various levels of expertise, from novice to advanced. Nevertheless, users are often directed to the same technical support personnel and/or help systems when troubleshooting a product or asking for product information regardless of their level of expertise. For example, when an advanced user encounters a problem or has a question, the advanced user may be directed to a phone number that is the same for all users of the product. In some cases, the advanced user may be placed in contact with support personnel, in some cases reading prewritten scripts or other materials, that may have no more expertise than the user that is requesting assistance. This can be very frustrating for advanced users and may result in bad customer service as well as dissatisfaction with a product. Likewise, novice users may be placed in contact with support personnel or help materials that may be more advanced than what the users are currently capable of understanding. This can likewise lead to frustration and dissatisfaction with a product.
In view of the foregoing, what are needed are apparatus and methods to more carefully tailor technical assistance and help systems to the expertise of users. Ideally, such apparatus and methods will be seamless and require little if any effort on the part of users.